UN mission mandate in Afghanistan extended for one year

UN mission mandate in Afghanistan extended for one year

The mission mandate of the United Nations has been extended for another year in Afghanistan with the Security Council reaffirming support to the Afghan government and security forces.

According to a statement by the UN, Security Council today extended the mandate of United Nations assistance operation in Afghanistan until 17 March 2018, stressing the political mission’s role in supporting an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

The statement further added that the 15-member Council unanimously adopted a new resolution, requesting the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and report back on the results of this exercise by July 2017, in order to ensure effective support for the Mission.

“On the human rights front, the Council requested continued support efforts to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict, and reiterated the importance of accelerating the establishment of a fair and transparent justice system. In that vein, the Council emphasized the importance of ensuring access for relevant organizations to all prisons and places of detention in Afghanistan,” the statement added.

The Council reiterated its support for the Government of Afghanistan, and in particular to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the statement said.

It also called upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, to continue to address the threat posed by the Taliban as well as by Al Qaida, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) affiliates and other terrorist groups._ KP